


The Vampire's Waltz

by Yuanith



Series: Tales of Etheria [2]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Blood, Blood Drinking, Female Pronouns for Narukami Arashi, Kind of Magitek, M/M, These two are stupid, Vampires, Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27023803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuanith/pseuds/Yuanith
Summary: New Zarya always has been known as the city of magicians ever since two vampires brought it to its glory after the war and many wished to be a part of it - even if it wasn't as stable as people outside believed, considering how many worlds were forced to live together there. That was why magicians had a hard task of becoming neutral mediators, staying closer to selected sides, keeping the balance.After the execution of a previous magician, Kagehira Mika was offered a job as human's mediator, accepted personally by Itsuki Shu. Was it a blessing? Or maybe something worse? After all, many people had their secrets they wished nobody would hear about.[Second entrance of Etheria series featuring ShuMika, Mado-nee and Arashi being the best shipping pals and switch wandering around because reasons.And, of course, my entrance in the lovely Valktober party~][As of Dec 11th, work is put on hold - I will continue it after finishing ritsukasa.]
Relationships: Itsuki Shuu/Kagehira Mika
Series: Tales of Etheria [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1959556
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	The Vampire's Waltz

**Author's Note:**

> Happy #Valktober guys! I wasn't sure about writing ShuMika again because *cough* SoM *coughcough* Ikea date *COUGH* but when I saw my friends preparing Valktober and the fact that Week 3 was literally an early birthday gift for me, I decided to take ShuMika for some fluff in Etheria world. As always, on my rules, because goddamnit I sure love my fantasy AUs.  
> As always, it's going to be multi chapter, but I asked one person if it was still ok to post it under the tag and I got green light, so yeah, let's go!  
> Small fun fact: During writing this entire chapter, as well as the entire plan, I was listening to **Witcher 3 OST - Beyond Hill and Dale**. Excuse me it took me almost 5 years to get on Witcher 3 love train but here we are.  
> If you'll need me, my twitter is @enczelada - you can find my cc, carrd and stuff like that there. Enjoy~
> 
> Timeline note: shmk story happens around a year before the events of ritsukasa; you don't need to read both to understand since all works are standalone (unless stated otherwise), though you might miss few elements of the world here and there - I'll be glad if you can give other works a try, I put my little heart to make them good.  
> tl;dr enjoy shumikas, this time not trolled, alive and happy in the end.  
> PS. - many thanks to Alex for beta reading this, ily bro ;w;

New Zarya, the capital of the northern part of the Empire of Etheria, was known as a demanding and high-risk place to go for magicians. However, many people wished to be a part of it - getting a certificate after practice, signed by one of the lords here, was a golden ticket that could give them a good job, even if they didn’t stay there for the rest of their life. Other people were thriving just because they had a chance to meet Itsuki Shu or Aoba Tsumugi in person - two vampires that were well-known magicians.

Kagehira Mika was one of these people - he had only met Itsuki in person twice, but it was enough to become extremely interested in his works about alchemy, using them as the basis of his thesis and the experiment that allowed him and the other magician to get a specialisation. When he received acceptance and information about who his guardian would be, he almost screamed. 

Good news, it was Itsuki Shu. 

Bad news, it was Itsuki Shu - because there was something about him Mika wished Shu would never notice, especially after hearing what happened to the previous magician. And besides, he wanted to show him he was worth staying in this city for longer, so it was pretty stressful considering how strict he was. 

His plan was easy - don’t faint during the meeting, keep a cool face, survive all years of practise and enjoy the beautiful life, capable of both watching and learning from Shu while also enduring the nagging of humans who weren’t as friendly towards vampires in the town. After all, Mika technically wasn’t a typical alchemist who had to work for the royals, his main work was to stay closer to humans and support them while also making sure neither side got into a fight, as poor people of Zarya visibly feared the lords and demanded a magician who could protect them. 

At first, things were going just as he wanted to. Shu turned out to be a demanding supervisor, but Mika was enjoying it, feeling as though someone was finally looking at him not as ‘that thing’, but a proper magician who had a chance to show what he had learned. While Mika didn’t have to meet him every day, he wanted him to prepare reports and bring them to him once a week when they met, so he could test his abilities and teach a bit more. Humans, while a bit annoyed Mika had a lot of contact with a lord, were still friendly towards him, giving him enough job to stay satisfied.

How ironic, Mika thought at that time, considering his bloodline and eyes. Standing between humans and vampires, between magicians and simple workers, between the two worlds of rich and poor, trusted by both. Always between, never a part of any, staying alone and hoping none of them will learn too much about him. 

But of course, life isn’t easy and it had to bite him. 

Mika was in the middle of listening to Shu’s monologues about the usage of blood in medical alchemy when his vision went blank as an incredible pain pulsed throughout his entire body, unable to stay still. He was more than sure he was falling down, and not too long later, he tasted a metallic taste in his mouth. At first he almost started panicking, but as more time passed by, the lesser the pain became. His vision slowly came back, good enough for him to notice he was sitting on a sofa with Shu right next to him, still having his hand wrapped around his body. Mika’s eyes focused on a small bottle he had in his second hand as he rubbed his lips with the back of his hand. 

“Did you really think you could fool me, Kagehira?”

His voice was echoing in Mika’s head, but judging from the tone, he didn’t seem surprised or mad as the magician feared, at least for now. After a while, Shu got up and scratched his chin while still looking at him. 

“You’re a dhampir,” He crossed his arms, but his voice was still on a softer side, thankfully. “Of course you are. Your kind has a strange tendency to stay between worlds, that is if you’re not in hiding… And Zarya seems like a perfect place to stay without having too many eyes focused on you. Besides, your documents were somewhat vague, which meant you’re either mixed blood or an old criminal. You’re much too nice of an idiot to be one, so that leaves only one option.”

“It’s not like ‘m runnin’ from anyone… Jus’ don’ like it,” Mika smirked upon hearing his words, but not for long. “An’ I can use blood arts magic. ‘sides, vampires don’t get that interested in us unless we’re not screamin’ t’ yer faces ‘look at me, bastard!’ or somethin’ like that.” 

More like they weren’t used to them, to be precise - it’s not like they’ve become a thing after a war, but not many were walking on this earth because one, not many humans were willing to date vampires and two, even if, chances of having children were incredibly low, since only a mix of human mother and vampire father could work. And  _ even  _ if a child was born, most vampires were confused, since they couldn’t have them any other way.

“Unless you are somehow connected to criminals or Rebelia, I couldn’t care less. But what am I supposed to do with you now?” Shu sighed heavily, tensing up. “I cannot let you go all the way home and leave you there. I can tell giving you blood won’t be as helpful as I hoped.”

Mika gulped. He was sure there was at least one more reason as for why. 

“It… It’ll get better soon, just gotta endure it.”

“Still. You shall stay here until you’re better.”

“And then?” Mika bit his lower lip.

Shu raised his eyebrow, visibly confused. 

“Go back to your work. What else did you expect, me pampering you for the next month? I have other businesses to attend to, I don’t have time to babysit you.” 

Now Mika was the confused one, staring at him as much as his damned eyes were allowing, his headache pulsing so strong he wished he could close his eyes now. He expected him to be much more aggressive… And he had good reasons to suspect him. Shu was almost an old blood - a vampire who lived long enough to get rid of any trace of humanity, a pure blood. They had some strange codes and stuff, and he was almost sure one of their rules was “to hate mixed blood with passion.” 

Mika, however, was much more terrified because the guild informed him what had happened to the previous magician who came here - who was killed soon after Aoba, another old blood ruling here, found out they were mixed blood.

“Yer not goin’ t’ execute me?” He asked after a while, clutching his hand on his chest.

“And for what reason should I?” Shu raised his eyebrow. “I am interested in your loyalty and work, not your bloodline. In what hell you have got the idea that we execute people like you?” 

“Didn’t the previous magician…”

Shu sent him another confused gaze as he opened his mouth to say something, but stopped in the middle and hummed. 

“So your guildmaster hasn't told you the previous mage turned out to be scheming with Rebelia against me… That was the reason we got rid of him. Nothing more.” Shu sighed again. 

Mika could feel his heart slowing down a bit. Another skip came faster than he expected, reminding him of why this discussion was even a thing. Shu rushed to him and helped him to get up. 

“God, how weak is that blood of you?” He hissed, slowly leading him out of the room. “Rest for now, Kagehira. You’re of no use while you’re suffering.”

  
  


Shun helped him calm down and prepared a room he could sleep in. At first, Mika wasn’t sure if he’d be able to sleep for most of the day and deal with that cursed blood of his when he got better, but much to his surprise, Shu was coming to support him with all sorts of medicines he could think of, even if he kept complaining about how problematic it was. Not used to this kind of treatment, he mostly stayed quiet, a bit embarrassed. The only person he could think of that treated him like this was Arashi whenever she noticed his state worsening. So, truth to be told, he did miss it somehow. But there was a difference, she was a human and his only friend. Shu was a damn vampire lord, he didn’t have to care about him.

Still, it was nice of him, even if it was making Mika even more embarrassed with every single day. 

Thankfully, it didn’t last for long - three days later, thanks to Shu’s help, he was all good and new, even if still a bit weak. The vampire tried to give him more blood, hoping his attacks were closer to their hunger - which can be deadly dangerous by the way, as the more hungry they are, the more they forget about their humanity - but yeah, it wasn’t working as well as he hoped for. And besides, Mika disliked that taste, so when Shu finally gave up, he took a deep breath.

Even before leaving, Shu came to the room he was staying in with a small package, then proceeded to check his vitals. After this, he allowed Mika to check what he had brought to him - which turned out to be an outfit and a few bottles of blood for future. 

“m surprised ya have them in my size.” Mika mumbled after trying the outfit, which in his eyes was incredibly pretty, even if it wasn’t his style, as he wasn’t used to such detailed work. 

“Hmph. I have more hobbies than just magic,” Shu responded while staring at him and scratching his chin. “You were lucky my last model was close to your posture… And I have to say, you don’t look that bad in it. Keep it. You’re still a magician, but you should know to dress up for formal meetings in future.”

“Eh? Yer okay with me keepin' this?” 

“That is what I said.” 

Mika blinked, blushing slightly. Not only did he take care of him, he was also okay with him keeping clothes Mika was sure could cost quite a lot. His initial embarrassment changed quickly into suspicion, however; his last remains of common sense tried to warn him this wasn't the first time a vampire or magician was treating him nicely soon after learning about his blood. 

“Let’s not waste more time, there is something that needs my attention in the city.”

“Eh, I can jus’ teleport myself home?” Mika raised his eyebrow.

“A walk should be good for you - and besides, it happens that my destination is somewhat close to your workplace, so I can make sure you won’t faint on the streets.”

That was a weird way of saying “I worry”, but Mika had no reason to suspect he was lying on purpose. Trying his best to stop himself from giggling, he followed Shu as they left the room and moved towards the exit. Before they left, a shelf filled with bottles looking almost like wine caught his eye, making him wonder if Shu was such a connoisseur of them… Well, at least before he noticed the liquid wasn’t looking very wine-like. 

No, he was sure that it wasn’t wine, but he kept silent. That was a good reminder why Mika tried his best not to bust himself out.

They walked without talking at first, while Mika started worrying again, thinking about why Shu was this supportive of him for the last three days.

“Kagehira.”

Mika blinked, not expecting him to call his name.

“You’ve been staring at me and it is really starting to get annoying,” Shu raised his eyebrow. “If there’s something you want to ask, go for it. I’ll answer if I’m fine with it.”

So he noticed, huh. Right, maybe it was better to speak his mind rather than just wonder and then get into worse deals with vampires.

“How can I pay ya back fer yer help?” Mika asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“By your work, that should be obvious. As long as you keep those humans pleased, that will be helpful,” Shu tilted his head. “However, if you truly want to give me a hand - yes, there is something I could ask for.” 

Mika knew this stare as Shu approached him. 

“We still don’t know enough about mixed blood and to be honest, your attack bothers me, especially since I thought it might be something like our hunger. Not only that, vampires for long wondered how in the hell your kind even exist, considering how close you are to us. I’d like to learn more about you - with your consent, that is.” 

With your consent, good for him to at least say this - but Mika knew sooner or later this ‘consent’ could turn into ‘we had a deal, you can’t escape’. He clenched his fist, not exactly sure what he should say. 

“If you dislike this, there is another way to take care of it,” Shu’s voice managed to grab his attention again. “We can trade blood. It should be enough for the first few tests, and since mine is technically pure, it should be useful for you as an alchemist.” 

Well, Mika had to admit, a one-time trade wasn’t that bad and in truth, his research was still far from finished, but… He noticed that collection before. Shu was keeping them on view as if it was wine. New form of art, maybe? Or just some weird hobby of his?

“Ya know, if ya just’ want t’ taste me or anythin’, ya could jus’ ask an’ bite me, ya know… Not wanna be a part of some collection.” 

“This sounds so utterly vulgar in your mouth,” Shu coughed, visibly unpleased. “If I wanted to do that - asking to get your blood just to keep it, I mean - I would ask for it. No, Kagehira, I am interested in something else. And from what I’ve heard, you’re not better than me. Your specialisation research was about old blood.” 

Mika bit his lower lip. 

“Yeah, that’s right,” he admitted, averting his gaze. “But ‘m not sure what yer gettin’ at. Ya don’t have t’ trade with me, ya know?” 

“As I said, you can pay me back by your work,” For the first time today, Shu smiled at him. “The less people bother me, the better. The trade is fully my goodwill. Besides, I really want to find out if there’s a way to stop the attacks your kind has to endure. I believe you’re not the only one, am I right?” 

“I guess.” 

To be fair, Mika didn’t expect this discussion to go like this. Usually, he was getting a deep monologue about science and stuff like that, how his goodwill helped achieve new knowledge, yadda yadda… The boring stuff. Shu, on the other hand, sounded more, how to say it… More interested in him. Which was both surprising and stressful. 

His thoughts got him so hard that he didn’t notice when they arrived at the district Mika lived in. 

“I won’t force you, but think about it. And, just to be clear - from this day onwards, I’d like to make a change in our contract.” 

“Y-Yes?” Mika gulped. 

“Twice a week. I’d like to see you at least twice a week - and should your state worsen, contact me immediately.” 

Mika stared at him, dumbfounded. Shu left soon after he agreed, leaving him completely speechless even after he entered his workplace. He sat on a chair and hid his face in his hands.

What has he got himself into? He just wanted to stay in Zarya, developing his skills, maybe from time to time invite Arashi and show her his gratitude after so many years they spent studying together, watch Shu from a safe distance, moved by his elegance and magical talents… 

Wait, no. You were thinking too much about it, Mika. Arashi was right, he had a bad habit of trusting people who are nice to him at first, learning later that the only thing they were interested in was his blood. He had to keep his head high and at least suspect Shu more. 

Or come up with a plan on how to check which side he really was on before he loses his mind. When was Arashi going to visit him? Hopefully soon...


End file.
